Liberation Theology in Britain Today

In: Political Theology, Heft 3, S. 64-79

Abstract

The creation of a liberation theology within the contemporary UK is investigated. The question of whether a British liberation theology must be located within the context of the UK's material conditions is addressed, as is the issue of whether the conditions that create poverty can actually be localized to present-day British society. It is suggested that a British liberation theology must concern itself with analyzing how the UK has contributed to or complied with the oppression & exploitation of individuals living in Third World nations. It is subsequently argued that cultural factors, not economic or political determinants, should be at the forefront of a British liberation theology. After discussing the popularity of postmodernism in contemporary Northern nations, the notion of postmodernism is then identified as an obstruction to developing such a theological perspective. It is concluded that establishing a British liberation theology is dependent on the identification of an "ec-clesial" community base. J. W. Parker